Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Morgan.
Hi Nikki, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The Shabang Music Festival was launched in 2014 and has grown from a mini-concert with 20 people at the top of Cuesta Ridge to an annual music festival with thousands of attendees. Shabang started on the top of a mountain as the brainchild of a group of friends with a dream to bring great music and even better vibes to San Luis Obispo. Founded by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduates Greg Golf, Carson Stone and Alexander Schwend, Shabang Music Productions has grown the festival from a few friends and a guitar to a staple of music and artistic expression throughout the Central Coast and beyond.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road to get to where we are today. Like we said before, this started as a simple little concert on the top of a mountain in San Luis Obispo. We had no idea how big this would become or that we would end up dedicating our careers to this. The founders of Shabang had to learn how to do everything from booking talent and vendors to renting and maintaining stage equipment to hiring and managing hundreds of employees and volunteers. There has definitely been a learning curve throughout the years, but we would do it all over again to create the great festival that we have today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Shabang Music Productions was born from a few friends with the idea to throw a concert on a mountain. With an attendance of 20, nobody envisioned what the show called ‘The Last Shabang’ would become. We really had started something special, and it was too good to stop there, so we kept it alive and rolling, and here we are today.
I think what sets us apart from other festivals like ours is that we have a much more in-depth and personal understanding of what our audiences want. We were once college students on the Central Coast who now have the unique opportunity to curate a music festival for students and music lovers. We strive to unite and amplify the Central Coast community through an immersive music festival experience. We want to celebrate the talents of stand out artists and musicians as well as foster a community built on inclusion and creativity.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The musical festival industry has grown so much in recent years, and we hope to keep growing with it. I think one thing that is shifting within this industry is the importance of audience engagement and opinion. Festivals are beginning to listen to their audiences and work with them to create line-ups and experiences that they truly want to see. I hope to see more of that trend going forward, and Shabang is proud to be a part of that as well.
Pricing:
- Friday tickets start at $95 and move to $100 once Tier 1 tickets sell out
- Saturday tickets start at $135 and move to $140 once Tier 1 tickets sell out
- Two-day passes start at $195 and move to $200 once Tier 1 tickets sell out
Contact Info:
- Website: shabangslo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shabangslo/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shabangslo
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shabangslo?
Image Credits
Photos by Kitsune Kreations, Art By Goldie, Renee Kaos, and Jojo Digital Press
